Something Bigger Than Yourself

Walked past the television this morning and the kids breakfast dishes were scattered, the TV was on and nobody was in sight. I took a glance at the TV and saw that Nickelodeon was advertising World Wide Day of Play. An announcement and scrawl at the bottom encouraged viewers to turn-off their TV, computers, mobile phones and to head outside to play. Programming was closed so move on. Not everyday do you see a business suggesting you do something more productive with your time than take advantage of their offerings.

Being part of a world-wide effort is noble and offers a striking contrast to the usual marketing.

Wise Steward of Funds

Obviously the curtain has been raised on many schemes and risky financial practices during the last year. Interestingly, some of the high-profile nonprofits that have gone out-of-business or had to make major cuts in their staffing and programs can attribute part or their failure to leveraging their debt. In many cases, the unstoppable need to build more facilities, grow bigger, reach across the globe has left them holding tax-free bonds that they cannot finance. When enrollment at a school meets capacity and there is a waiting list, it is hard to believe that the educational institution will suffer any financial hardships. Being fiscally conservative is tough, even during good times. Leaving the next board (those board members who follow you) with a budget that is reasonable and limited liabilities is one of the ultimate signs of wise stewardship. Low hanging-fruit that is not core to the mission sometimes leads your enterprise to start climbing a tree it never intended.

How do you operate as wise fiduciary? The New York Times highlights some organizations that reached beyond their means.

Suggested Links- Impact on Your Brand

I sent about an hour this morning clicking on recommended hyperlinks from other bloggers. I was doing this for my wife who writes her own blog which is far more insightful, talented, and inspiring than mine. What was interesting to see is what other blogs each blogger is reading. I know that just listing another blog is not an outright endorsement but rather an attempt to share a resource or source of inspiration. For me it was an enlightening exercise. It was as if somebody had let me through their front door and was allowing me to go on a self-guided tour of their home. Each link to another blog appeared to be a different room in their house and represented another reflection of their taste. It was an interesting cyber-adventure but it also re-enforced that each recommend link is a direct reflection of your own brand.

Which links do you share?

New skill for those with the most experience

Interview on NPR’s Marketplace show today about Experience Work, a training and job placement organization for senior citizens. Those who thought that they had saved enough for retirement are now back in the workplace. Many are learning new skills that were not required previously. Some seniors are starting with basic computer skills and others are making the sober choice between paying the rent or purchasing prescribed medicine.

These seems to be an enterprise that is uniquely positioned to meet a growing need.

Game Changing Beetle

I read an article in Forbes magazine that discussed the impact of the Bark beetle that is infested the lodge pole pine trees across the west. It has added many opportunities for the logging industry, so much so that they cannot keep up with demand. It has also changed the landscape and threatened to change the iconic images portrayed in the visitor bureau’s website. Visiting Winter Park, Colorado last summer I was amazed at the expanse of dead trees across the valley. Now flying in and out of Denver I can see the altered landscape from above as the plane crossed the Indian Peak Wilderness Area. Having spent time in the valley over the years, I suddenly realize that this is a game changing event.

The impact of one small beetle is transformative. The beetle is now on a journey to change the look of much of the western landscape. How we react is still being debated.

What I Can Do In My Sleep

As a child everything I wanted to accomplish took place during the hours I was awake. When I finally put my head on the pillow the day was over and the momentum of my day came to a stop. Where I stood and what I could see felt like my whole world. My reach appeared limited to a the distance I could kick a soccer ball.

It struck me the other day that my sphere of influence has grown exponentially in this always on, always connected world. I can schedule blogs to posts in the middle of the night. I have completed online transactions while I was backpacking and not within sight of a cell tower. The websites I manage sit like billboards on the side of the cyber-highway, always illuminated and open for business.

I have consulted via Skype with clients across the continent before dawn, wearing business attire on my visible upper-half, having rolled out of bed moments before the session started.

My impact is always on and unlike my idyllic childhood days, I can reach across the globe at all moments. It reminds me of the story of the woman who traveled across the Oregon Trail as an infant in arms and then returned to the Midwest in an airplane. Change is constant and perhaps we are standing in the middle of our own impact crater wondering how it was formed.